1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of the play NOT THE FILM of Real Women Have Curves. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play opens in a small sewing factory in Los Angeles that is run by a group of Hispanic women during the summertime in 1987. The youngest of the women, Ana, has just graduated from high school and wishes she could be at college instead, but her family is too poor to send her to college. She loves to write and sneaks to the small bathroom of the factory to write often. The women are working on a large order of dresses and hoping to finish quickly because the factory is in danger of going bankrupt, and the customer refuses to pay until the order is complete.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken in the play and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion occurs when Estela reveals she did not go through with the process of becoming a legal immigrant. The women all went through the process together, but Estela reveals she did not send in her papers because she was arrested for possession of a lobster during the off season and because she is being sued for not paying her monthly payments in time. Because of her criminal record, she knew she couldn't be legal. The women in the play at this moment become sympathetic and work hard to get the order done so that Estela can make the payments and hopefully get out of the lawsuit so that she can become legal.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the day that the women discover that they must work very hard or else they could lose the company and Estela could be deported.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will the women be able to complete the order? Will they lose the factory? Will Estela be deported?
5. Use Ana, the central character, to answer the questions. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what Ana wants (NOTE: In Real Women Ana's wants seem to be in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Ana faces a conflict with herself because throughout the play, she feels uncomfortable with her body. In the end, she and everyone in the factory begin to love their bodies and embrace who they are. Ana also faces conflict with the law, as "la migra" comes near and threatens to find Estela. She and the rest of the women must hide Estela to keep her safe. She also faces conflict with her fate. She dreams of going to college in New York to write, but her circumstances will not allow her to do so.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Real Women Have Curves.
The most theatrical moments in the play occur when Estela reveals she is still illegal. This moment, the women learn that the factory is in danger of going bankrupt, and they begin to work harder to keep the factory running and to protect Estela. Another theatrical moment occurs when the women take their clothes off and compare their bodies. This powerful scene begins as a way for the women to criticize themselves, but they instead end up beginning to love themselves.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Real Women. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One image is seen in the dresses. The dresses almost taunt the women because they are beautiful, but they could never wear them. Estela reveals that the dresses go for as much as two hundred dollars. The women could not only not afford the dresses, but they are sized too small for the women too. Another image seen in the play is the factory. They must keep the factory locked at all times because Estela can't risk getting caught by la migra. They can't even open the door to cool off the inside of the factory in the heat of the summer. This act shows the struggle of staying locked away that immigrants face before they become legal residents.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Real Women.
Themes of feminism, body positivity, and acceptance are all seen in the play.Ana tells the women to respect themselves enough to not be okay with an abusive relationships, which makes the women begin to think more independently from their husbands. After the scene in which they take their clothes off, the women begin to love and accept themselves the way they are, and they start a successful boutique because of it.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Real Women? Is family redefined in this play? If so, how and why?
The family relationship is seen between the women of the factory. The women reveal how common they believe abusive relationships are, and Ana makes a stand. She gives a brief monologue to the women about respecting themselves enough to not be okay with an abusive relationships. They also begin to support each other more after the scene in which they take their clothes off and begin to love themselves.
The play opens in a small sewing factory in Los Angeles that is run by a group of Hispanic women during the summertime in 1987. The youngest of the women, Ana, has just graduated from high school and wishes she could be at college instead, but her family is too poor to send her to college. She loves to write and sneaks to the small bathroom of the factory to write often. The women are working on a large order of dresses and hoping to finish quickly because the factory is in danger of going bankrupt, and the customer refuses to pay until the order is complete.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken in the play and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion occurs when Estela reveals she did not go through with the process of becoming a legal immigrant. The women all went through the process together, but Estela reveals she did not send in her papers because she was arrested for possession of a lobster during the off season and because she is being sued for not paying her monthly payments in time. Because of her criminal record, she knew she couldn't be legal. The women in the play at this moment become sympathetic and work hard to get the order done so that Estela can make the payments and hopefully get out of the lawsuit so that she can become legal.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the day that the women discover that they must work very hard or else they could lose the company and Estela could be deported.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will the women be able to complete the order? Will they lose the factory? Will Estela be deported?
5. Use Ana, the central character, to answer the questions. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what Ana wants (NOTE: In Real Women Ana's wants seem to be in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Ana faces a conflict with herself because throughout the play, she feels uncomfortable with her body. In the end, she and everyone in the factory begin to love their bodies and embrace who they are. Ana also faces conflict with the law, as "la migra" comes near and threatens to find Estela. She and the rest of the women must hide Estela to keep her safe. She also faces conflict with her fate. She dreams of going to college in New York to write, but her circumstances will not allow her to do so.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Real Women Have Curves.
The most theatrical moments in the play occur when Estela reveals she is still illegal. This moment, the women learn that the factory is in danger of going bankrupt, and they begin to work harder to keep the factory running and to protect Estela. Another theatrical moment occurs when the women take their clothes off and compare their bodies. This powerful scene begins as a way for the women to criticize themselves, but they instead end up beginning to love themselves.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Real Women. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One image is seen in the dresses. The dresses almost taunt the women because they are beautiful, but they could never wear them. Estela reveals that the dresses go for as much as two hundred dollars. The women could not only not afford the dresses, but they are sized too small for the women too. Another image seen in the play is the factory. They must keep the factory locked at all times because Estela can't risk getting caught by la migra. They can't even open the door to cool off the inside of the factory in the heat of the summer. This act shows the struggle of staying locked away that immigrants face before they become legal residents.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Real Women.
Themes of feminism, body positivity, and acceptance are all seen in the play. Ana tells the women to respect themselves enough to not be okay with an abusive relationships, which makes the women begin to think more independently from their husbands. After the scene in which they take their clothes off, the women begin to love and accept themselves the way they are, and they start a successful boutique because of it.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Real Women? Is family redefined in this play? If so, how and why?
The family relationship is seen between the women of the factory. The women reveal how common they believe abusive relationships are, and Ana makes a stand. She gives a brief monologue to the women about respecting themselves enough to not be okay with an abusive relationships. They also begin to support each other more after the scene in which they take their clothes off and begin to love themselves.